Understanding the science behind noise measurements helps you interpret your documentation reports accurately.
Calculations alone don't help landlords. What matters is clear, structured evidence.
How to Document Noise Complaints Properly →A decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit used to express ratio of two values of a physical quantity, often power or intensity. In acoustics, it measures sound intensity relative to a reference level.
The decibel scale is logarithmic, meaning every 10 dB increase represents a tenfold increase in sound intensity. For example, 80 dB is ten times more intense than 70 dB.
Where:
Human hearing perceives sound intensity logarithmically, not linearly. A sound 10 times more intense only feels twice as loud. The logarithmic decibel scale matches our natural perception, making it intuitive for noise measurement and evidence documentation.
Use our noise evidence recorder to start measuring with logarithmic decibel calculations.
Your device's microphone captures raw audio samples from environment.
Root Mean Square (RMS) is calculated from audio samples to determine average sound energy.
A calibration offset (+80dB) is applied to convert the normalized RMS value to a decibel reading comparable to standard sound level meters.
The final decibel value is displayed and recorded for evidence generation.
Modern smartphone microphones typically measure within ±5dB of professional sound level meters. For absolute precision, use a calibrated Type 2 sound level meter.
For legal complaints, relative measurements and timestamped data are most valuable. Consistently elevated readings relative to the ordinance limit provide strong evidence, regardless of absolute calibration.
Use our tool to generate noise level documentation reports
use noise evidence calculator